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The Adventurer's Guidebook
Ages Past At the dawn of time, in the primordial void of Ginnungagap, the Aesir gods fought a length way against the jotunn, or frost giants. FInally Odinn, Lord of the Aesir, struck down mighty Ymir, father of all giants. And from hsi remains the gods carved Midgard, the realm of humankind, and they banished the surviving frost giants to the icy plains of Jotunheimm But the jotunn have sword revenge, and wise Odinn knows that their banishment will not last. Prophecy states that they will one day be free, and will wreak devastation upon Midgard, and slaughter the Aesir. This fateful day is called the twilight of the gods: Ragnarok. Many lifetimes have passed. Now, the forest of Jarnvidr has been struck by a winter harsher than anyone can remember. Trolls and Wolves stalk the night, trade caravans disappear in the cold, and former neighbors turn against each other. The people ache for spring, but see no end to the frost and snowstorms. With fearful whispers, they wonder if the jotunn have at least returned, and if the end of the world is at hand. The Aesir The Aesir are the Norse gods, who defeated the frost giants at the dawn of time, and carved the world of Midgard out of their leader. They are seldom seen by mortals, and live in the realm of Asgard which can only be reached by the rainbow bridge Bifrost. Odinn The one-eyed leader of the Aesir is the god of battle and sorcery, who cut out his own eye for a drink of the well of wisdom at Mimisbrunnr. The valkyries travel the world in his name, seeking fallen warriors worthy of joining him and his wife Frigg in the feasthalls of Valhalla Thor The son of Odinn, Thor is the hammer wielding god of thunder, and husband to the long-haired goddess Sif. He is known for his strength and feared for his ferocity, wielding the enchanted hammer Mjollnir in battle. Thor travels the sky in a flying chariot drawn by goats, and is the foremost slayer of frost giants. Loki The trickster god is frost giant by heritage, aesir by adoption, and blood brother to Odinn. His capability for mischief knows no bounds, playing tricks on gods, giants, and svartalfar aike. Loki is father to the goddess Hel and the prima wolf Fenrir, and, because of a prank taht ran out of hand, mother to Odinn's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. Hel The solemn daughter of Loki reigns over Niflheim, the realm of mists, where the spirits of the fallen go. Only those vikings who die a brave death in battle will instead go to sit at Odinn's side in Valhalla. Idunn She is the goddess of youth, who keeps the enchanted apples that the Aesir must eat to retain their immortality. She was once kidnapped by the frost giant Thiassi, who sought the apples for himself, but Loki managed to free her and return her to Asgard. The Norns Urth, Vethandi, and Skuld are the mysterious guardians of the web of fate. Even the Aesir must answer to what they set in store for the future. Jarnvidr In the heart of Midgard, realm of the humans, lies the forst known as Jarnvidr, or the iron woods. It is a prosperous region, but dangerous to the unarmed traveler. It is especially hazardous in winter, when the varg prowl the woods, and at night when the trolls come out. Fornsigtuna This large city is the capital of Jarnvidr and rules by the Jarl Ylfing, and is said to be the place where Odinn and the Aesir first set food in Midgard. Well defended with strong walls and many guards, it is a safe haven for the adventurer looking for a palce to rest. It lies in the northwest part of Jarnvidr, and is home to the Adventurers' Guild, rumored to have been founded by Odinn himself. The coat of arms of Fornsigtuna is a crown surrounded by three stars. The coat of arms of the Ylfing family is a griffin, symbolizing the region of East Gothland where the family comes from. Munarvagir A village and trading post in the south of Jarnvidr, Munarvagir falls technically under the rule of Jarl Ylfing, but the villagers prefer their independence. Gandvik The lake to the northeast of Jarnvidr, it connects to the seas of Midgard and is used by jarl Ylfing's ships for their trade and rais. During Winter, the lake often freezes over, and is traversable on foot. Animals Many creatures make their home in Jarnvidr that may provide travelers with interesting encounters, a source of food, or a hazard to be wary of. Boar A large wild pig that forages in the woods for roots and insects, it will defend itself with intense vigor if surprised or cornered. Boars can be a good meal to the seasoned hunter. Fox A small furry creature which hunts smaller creatures for food. Foxes tend to take shelter in their dens. Gulon A large and ferocious creature that is part bear, part elk, and part lizard. It is knwon for its eating habits: it will gorge on its kill until it is swollen and unable to eat more, and then find two trees to squeeze between, pushing the meat further into its body. Moose A large species of deer, the moose is spends most of its day foraging for plant matter for food. You should never use a toothbrush to carve your initials on a moose. Raven A large black bird which feeds on insects, grains, fruit, and carrion. The raven is the symbol of Odinn, and ravens are hsi spies throughout Midgard, finding out secrets to tell to the god of wisdom. Varg A large wild wolf with a terrible howl, it scours the woods looking for prey to satisfy its hunger. Even a single varg is strong enough to take down an unprepared traveler. Races Many creatures make their home in Jarnvidr that may provide travelers with interesting encounters, a source of food or a hazard to be wary of. If you find yourself in combat, it is best to wait for an opening between an enemy's attacks, and strike then. If you attack while an enemy is attacking, you will likely get hurt, and do less damage as a result. Draug These undead warriors are found haunting Jarnvidr in the night, stealing life from any victims they come across. Duergar The svartalfar are a mysterious race of black elves with a strong affinity for magic, in particular illusion. They are renowned as master smiths and craftsmen, but are not known to interact with humans much. The duergar are svartalfar Haugbui This incoporeal undead is a powerful spellcaster and highly dangerous. Where draug are essentially mindless, the haugbui has a malevolent and vengeful intelligence to seek out its victims. It raises from its grave shortly after nightfall, and will keep doing so until its grave is found, its bones burned to ash, and the ashes scattered in the winds. Huldra A seductive forest creature who appears as a stunningly beautiful naked women from the front, but who is hollow like a tree tunk from behind. Dangerously mesmerizing, many a man has gone missing after falling under the huldra's spell. Jotunn The jotunn, or frost giants, are the ancient enemies of the Aesir. Most of them have been banished to the icy plains of Jotunheim, but those that remain in Midgard have sworn vengeance on the humans, who they fell have stolen their world. Svartalf The svartalfar are a mysterious race of black elves with a strong affinity for magic, in particular illusion. They are renowned as master smiths and craftsmen, but are not known to interact with humans much. The dueragr are related, or possibly identical, to svartalfar. Trolls Trolls are aggressive creatures who usualy live in caves, their intelligence varying from dim-witted to dull as a brick. Trolls only wander through Jarnvidr at night, as they turn to stone in the daylight. Their leader, by virtue of being stronger than the rest, is a two-headed troll called Thrivaldi. Vordr Warden spirits which follow certain persons from their birth right through to their death, these can appear as positive energies for that person. Category:Heroine's Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok Category:Books